The addled minds are those of some of the members of the BBWAA who will be deciding who will or will not be inducted into Cooperstown this summer. It is only a few more days before the outcome of the voting is shared with the public and this has to be the most controversial new group of candidates ever. But this not about whom they will or will not vote for nor is it about my opinion about who is or is not qualified, it is about the reason that they give for why.

I cannot give you every voter’s name, but where I have it I will. My first are two voters who offer the same rational yet very opposite ballots. They both object to being put in a position of being judge, jury, and executioner of the candidates. It is understood that the candidates in question are Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa as well as Mike Piazza, Craig Biggio, and Jeff Bagwell. All of these former players have been suspected of using PEDs. The level of suspicion is less developed with the latter three. One of our voters is not going to vote at all while the other will vote for Clemens and Bonds.

The criteria given to the electorate by the Hall of Fame is as follows.

The players record

Playing ability

Contribution to the team

Integrity

Sportsmanship

Character

Our third voter has only one name on his ballot because the only player that fits his definition of character and integrity is Dale Murphy.

Richard Justice is a MLB insider who covers the Astros, so he does have Bagwell and Biggio on his ballot. He also has 8 more including Bonds, Sosa, Clemens, and Rafael Palmerio. Mr. Justice also doesn’t want to judge and is concerned if he doesn’t include the highly suspected (although in concedes that they used PEDs) and yes even those who have passed from suspected to ‘got ya’ he will feel badly if at sometime he finds out that someone he voted for is revealed as a PEDs user and he excluded the Bonds, Clemens etc. of the world. Mr. Justice also regrets having only 10 spaces on the ballot and needed 5 more spaces.

My final name is Rod Rapaport who is now retired as an active writer in Philadelphia. Mr. Rapaport will also be voting for Bonds, Clemens etc. despite also feeling that they are guilty of using PEDs. Mr. Rapaport’s reasoning is that he is doing it for the Hall of Fame so that those who saved baseball after the strike of 1994 are not excluded. He credits the home run battle between Sosa and McGwire, the eclipsing of Hank Aaron’s mark and the 4 CYAs of Clemens after his departure from the Red Sox as acts that saved the game and created record revenues, new stadiums and increased the value of the league. Although he acknowledges the use of steroids, it was the player’s performance and not the steroids that accomplished this.

I will edit and add more as it becomes known and please comment with your examples of addled minded thinking.

Your team’s best hitter is at the plate with the winning run dancing off second, you hear the crack of the bat and see the ball laced to the left of second base and a potentially lethal shard of maple helicoptering toward the seats behind the visitors dugout. The introduction of maple as a bat composition is credited to Joe Carter in 1991. Some 50 years earlier ash had replaced hickory as the wood that bats were made from. Maple wasn’t illegal, but when the obvious danger was recognized it should have been universally banned by MLB and the MLPAA, but it wasn’t.

The players and fans had seen the potential for injury or worse. Pirates coach Dale Long hit in the head with the barrel of a broken bat. Tommy Lasorda knocked to the ground. Then Cubs player Tyler Colvin, whose arm was speared by a 15-inch shard of maple while trying to score from 3<sup>rd</sup> base and Dodgers fan Susan Rhodes, struck in the face at Dodger Stadium. Players spoke out but little was done.

"I'm not so much worried myself," Scott Rolen said.. “The bats are a hazard for fans more so than players."

In 1991 the level of distrust between baseball and the Players Assoc. was at a level red. Brewers owner Allan Huber Selig and his ‘gang of six’ were undercutting Commissioner Vincent Fay with a vote of no confidence. Fay’s crime was telling ownership that it is their continued collusion against the union that has poisoned the relationship. In 1985, the Commissioner Peter Uberroth encouraged owners not to compete for other team’s free agents, this continued until 1987 when the Players Assoc. and Donald Fehr brought charges in Federal Court. The MLBPA was successful and MLB was fined 280 million. Selig replaced Fay and the independent authority of the office of Commissioner and office of Commissioner became a toady for the owners.

In 2008 it was estimated that 60% of the major league players used maple and the incident of shattered bats was one per game. It was then that MLB met with scientists knowledgeable about the properties of wood and bat manufacturers. The MLBPA was not invited to participate. Recommendations were advised and incorporated.

Today the percentage of players using maple has dropped slightly to 55% and the incident of bats breaking is down to .53 per game. Selig feels that this is an acceptable risk.

"I think we've made a lot of progress and we continue to make progress. The union and everybody has been involved," Commissioner Bud Selig said last month at his annual All-Star FanFest question-and-answer session. "You can't have enough emphasis on it. We've done everything we possibly can." Quinn Roberts, MLN.com, 8/3/12

That acceptable risk translates into 1300 maple bats exploding into potentially lethal projectiles. With Michael Weiner having replaced Fehr as Executive Director of the MLBPA and a thawing of the decades old contention, Selig sits back and gives up.

Several days ago thomasam arguably the most respected member of the Mets board shared that at age 30 he shed tears when longtime voice of the Mets Bob Murphy passed away. My understanding of that was it was as much the loss of a familiar and constant link to the Mets and his boyhood as it was Bob Murphy himself. This past long slow winter without baseball I came to the understanding that as much as anything I wanted Gary, Keith, Ron and Kevin back in my life.

As the players raced to the mound to encompass Johan last night my eyes welled up and I shed tears as well. It was for me from that first game in April of 1962 against this very same franchise, the Cardinals until last night to see a Mets pitcher throw the first no hitter. I was happy for Johan Santana, and to see the joy on the field and in the stands. The monkey on the back of Mets fans everywhere was finally gone. It wasn’t until hours later that I realized what the truths were for me. The tears may have been a creation of the relief of tension as well as joy. My feelings of Johan and the no-hitter hadn’t changed, what did was there never was the burden of a monkey on my back.

My team went to and won their first World Series in their 8<sup>th</sup> year. There were 4 World Series and 2 World Championships in our first 39 years. We have had great players; great managers and we have great fans. We never had a batting champ until Jose Reyes did it last year. That had never been a burden either.

Last night as the booth wrapped up Keith Hernandez said to Gary Cohen (who as a lifelong Mets fan has the job this fan would want more than being wealthy, famous or powerful) “hey Gar you are getting emotional”. There were a lot of tears shed last night for varies reasons by the Mets faithful last night.

Terry Collins, in my mind shed the worse kind. At the post game interview he fought them back as he talked about the struggle he had about letting Johan go back out for the eighth inning. Reportedly Johan told him “I’m not coming out” and Terry responded “you are my hero”. Sometime last night, hours after the game either in his office or at home Terry shed the tears of anguish. The non existent burden of the no hitter is now a very real burden that Terry Collins will have to deal with as he waits until he knows that his decision to let Johan exceed the post surgical imposed pitch count will not have an adverse affect. Damned if you do and damned if you don’t.

In the sixteenth century the explorer Ponce de Leon sailed to the new world in search of the Fountain of Youth. He landed in what is now called Florida.

I am not a Yankees fan, I am not a Derek Jeter fan, but as a baseball fan I could separate Derek Jeter the man and Yankee ballplayer from the ability of the player. I didn’t have to admire the ability but I could and did acknowledge it.

Could we as fans be so naive to look at Jeter’s offensive play today and say “no, he never would use PEDs”? If you don’t think so, where you in early Sept. 1998 when Mark McGuire hit the then record breaking 62nd home run. Sammy Sosa, who was engaged in a home run battle with McGuire, was there in Right Field. Sosa congratulated him, as did the family of Roger Maris. McGuire’s son was there as well. Those of us watching were thrilled by the spectacle of a baseball hero who took less money to stay with the Cardinals set a new record. Yea, we were that naive.

A year ago on June 13th Derek Jeter who was hitting .260 with a .324 OBP went on the DL, while rehabbing in Tampa he worked on his swing and returned on July 4th. Five days later, Jeter got his 3000th career hit. From his Independence Day return until the end of the regular season Derek Jeter hit .331 with an OBP of .384

.

If you meld his 2010 season and the first part of 2011, the combined BA and OBP are .267, .335. Jeter was 36 and it happens.

Now take the end of 2011, add in the torrid start to this year and you get .349, .394. Jeter is approaching 38 and it doesn’t happen.

In 1998 a baseball hero cheated, this past off season we learned that Ryan Braun tested positive, but beat the 50 game suspension on a technicality. Between McGuire and Braun we have had some of the biggest names in the game come up dirty. Can anyone be trusted to play on a level field and if not, Jeter would be no exception? And if not what does it mean to the game?

This past off season Jose Reyes signed a 6 year 106 M dollar contract with the Miami Marlins. The contract did not contain a no trade clause. Why do I mention that aspect? The Marlins do not have a solid fan base in the best of seasons and despite winning the World Series in 1997 and in 2003 have drawn 3 M fans only once. That was in the Marlins first season 1993, in 1997 when they won the first Championship attendance was 2.4 M. By the time the Marlins won their second Championship the fan base was jaded. Owner Wayne Huizenga broke up the 1997 team and with it the fan base. By the time newest owner Jeff Loria won the second World Series, the attendance in that year was an embarrassing 1.3 M with a payroll of $45 M. Once again the Marlins sold off the team and by 2006 the opening day payroll was $15 M. In the last 14 seasons the Marlins payroll has been in the bottom 20% of the League in every year but one. Loria has been exceptionally fortunate; Allan Huber Selig gave him the opportunity to purchase the Marlins for 158 M including a 38 M no interest loan from MLB by taking the Montreal Expos off his hands. He stepped into a situation where the Marlins won the World Series the following year. After he sold off the assets of that team he fielded a team with a payroll of less than MLB was giving him in revenue sharing for a number of years. He was also the beneficiary of a 500 M taxpayer bond to pay for a new stadium. That stadium is going to open this year and is the reason why Loria signed Heath Bell to 3 years 27 M, Reyes and Mark Buehrle to a 4 year 58 M $ contract which is only 17 M owed in the first two years. The Reyes contract of 106 M only pays Reyes 20 M over the first two years leaving an eight-six million dollar balance in the remaining 4 years. Jeff Loria has been a snake in the past and the handwriting on the wall is that he has his exit strategy already laid out. New stadium gratis of the taxpayers, big name signings with back loaded contracts equals maximum revenue while the payroll is low and before the stadium allure is over. The Expos won’t be the only team he dumps on MLB. Peter Greenberg cannot be that dumb to not see what the future holds, but he can be that greedy to put his percentage of 106 M over the next highest bid of 80 M in front of the well being of his client. Why not? It will be Reyes’ last big contract and if Reyes ends up in Kansas City, so be it.

Dan Lozano is the agent for Albert Pujols, and according to rumor recruits new clients with hookers and booze. I imagine that the other back stabbing sub human species that are also agents are the foundation of this rumor or are annoyed that they didn’t think of it first. Pujols was courted by three teams; the Cardinals whom he felt low balled him from the very start. This he regarded as an insult to the man who had been the center of the team for a decade. The Marlins who either he or Lozano recognized were looking to use Pujols as a marketing tool. This was apparent by their refusal to give him a no trade clause in the contract which reached 274 M for 10 years. The Angels did give Pujols the no trade clause and signed him to a contract of 254 M for 10 years. Arte Morano, owner of the Angels got his wish but will very likely learn the meaning of the saying “be careful of what you wish for”. Pujols is listed at 32 years of age but is widely believed in baseball circles to be as old as 35.

The final agent is Scott Boras; a piece about sleazy agents couldn’t be complete with out Boras. Where Boras unsuccessfully tried to steal Reyes last season he was successful in signing K-Rod away from his former agent Peter Kinzer.

PHOENIX-- Agent Scott Boras confirmed he is now representing New York Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez. Rodriguez, 29, is in the final guaranteed season of a deal that pays at least three years, $37 million and was negotiated by former agent Paul Kinzer. If Rodriguez finishes 55 games this season, a vesting option for $17.5 million kicks in for 2012. Otherwise, K-Rod receives a $3.5 million buyout in addition to his $11.5 million salary for this season.

"This is something that Sandy and Frankie and I will talk about," Boras said. . Adam Rubin covers the Mets for ESPNNewYork.com. 7/11/11

One day later Rodriguez was traded to the Brewers. What I believe happened, and the senario that makes sense is that Rodriguez, the Mets and the Brewers reached an agreement before the trade, otherwise the Brewers who already have (John Axford 46 Svs) would have been insane to take on Rodriguez with a 17.5 M vesting option pending. The agreement was reached and the trade took place. The Brewers bought out his vested option in exchange for a mutual option, Rodriguez got the opportunity to go to a team with playoff ambitions, his agent Boras sold Francisco Rodriguez that it was in his best interest.

The following is from FOX Sports, Ken Rosenthal 7/15/2011.

According to sources, newly acquired closer Francisco Rodriguez has freed Milwaukee from the burden of paying a possible vesting option of $17.5 million, which would have come into effect had K-Rod finished 55 games in 2011. With Rodriguez needing just 21 more to reach that plateau, the Brewers would have been reticent in letting him close. Rodriguez, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, has waived the option in exchange for additional compensation, which according to one source is "not a significant amount."

K-Rod's vesting option is now a mutual option that kicks in with same 55 games finished threshold. It's meaningless, as he would decline and become a free agent. His buyout increases from $3.5M to $4M, which was the inducement. The Mets are paying the original buyout, while the Brewers will pay the additional amount. The development is a victory for Rodriguez's new agent, Scott Boras, who only began representing the reliever earlier this month. Had the option vested, the commission on next year's salary would have belonged to Rodriguez's former agents at Wasserman Media Group. Instead, now that Rodriguez will be a free agent, Boras will apparently lay claim to the commission on K-Rod's 2012 earnings.

In an ideal trade both sides would benefit and there would be no losers. This trade produced multiple winners and multiple losers. Obvious losers are Peter Kinzer and Francisco Rodriguez who has accepted arbitration from the Brewers when the closer market dried up in early Free Agent signings. The Mets paid 4.5 of Rodriguez 2011 salary and 3.5 of the buy out but still came up winners by avoiding the 14 M remaining on the vesting option. The Brewers got Rodriguez for a half season for 1.5 M. As almost always the case Boras was a winner since he will earn a commission on what ever Rodriguez is awarded in arbitration. Was this the first time that Boras wrote a check his azz couldn’t cash? Here are a couple of other Boras clients;

2009 Jarrod Washburn 35, coming off a 4 yr 35 M contract with the Mariners was offered a 5 M contract by the Twins for the 2010 season he declined. Washburn has not pitched since 2009.

Johnny Damon won a world Series with the Yankees in 2009 at the end of his 4 yr 56 M contract. A contract offer of 2 yrs for 19 M was declined. Damon played 2010 with the Tigers for 8 M and the Rays in 2011 for 5.3 M

Addendum; Rodriquez who accepted arbitration from the Brewers agreed to a 1 year contract of 8 M. That added to the 4 M buyout still falls short of the 17.5 option that Rodriquez had almost locked up with the Mets before Boras entered the picture. Rodriguez loss is 5.5 M. Boras gets a piece of the 8 M for 2012.

A quality that championship teams have is maturity, maturity not measured in years but in wisdom. The Giants lack of maturity has caused them to fail in two trap games this season and they face another against the Redskins. Some would call the first Redskin game a trap game but it doesn’t meet my definition of a trap game. I view a trap game as a game that is not given full attention because of their record, your team’s recent accomplishments and the perceived importance of an upcoming game and finally what happened to both teams in subsequent weeks. The Washingtong ame was the first of the season and the Giants were not viewed as a serious team due to preseason injuries and players lost to free agency. Plus they had two games each with “America’s Team” and the “Dream Team” in addition to games against the 49ers, Patriots, Saints, Packers, and Jets. Third in the division and a record of 8-8 was an often repeated forecast. Game one of the season was not a trap game.

Week 5; the 3-1 Giants are hosting the 1-3 Seahawks who have a certain quirk, they don’t travel to the East coast and win. Their frequent flier mile futility could be measured by a zero for nine record. Perhaps the Giants were looking past the powder puffs to the Patriot game, but they fell into the trap. The Giants recovered to win their next three including the Patriots game whileSeattlelost their next three.

Week 11; The Giants coming off a victory over the Patriots and a West coast game in which they dominated the 49ers and had a chance to tie in the final minute may have been looking past the Eagles and at the upcoming Saints, Packers, and Cowboys games. The Giants were sitting atop the Eastern Division with a 6-3 record and facing a team that they had already beaten on the road. The Eagles would be bringing their 3-6 record to MetLife Stadium. Trapped. The Giants followed with their worst loss of the year against the Saints before recovering. They followed the Saints loss with a loss to the Packers which culminated with Aaron Rodgers moving the Packers 69 yards in less than one minute and winning on a last second FG. Last week the Giants leap frogged the Cowboys to take over the top of the Eastern Division. The Eagles lost two before beating the 4-9 Dolphins who then fired their coach.

Week 15; the table is set and it is a familiar setting. The Redskins bring their 4-9 record to MetLife and the Giants are in a survival mode. The Giants just won their first “back against the wall” game and the Redskins have one win in their last nine games. Following the Redskins are games against the rival Jets which will be a survival game for both teams and the Cowboys on New Years Day, a game that will very likely send one team to the Division Championship and the other home. This game has Trapped written all over it.

Last week Giants pride beat the Cowboys; this week yogi says that a new found Giants maturity avoids the trap. Giants 31-16.

The World Series begins tonight in St Louis where the weather will be 47 degrees at game time with winds at 16 out of the NW. There is also a 40% chance of rain. You would have to go all the way back to 1984 to find the last World Series game played outdoors in the sun. They were games 4 & 5 (Sat. & Sun.) at Tigers Stadium. I have prepared a check list for those of you who may have tickets and plan on going to the game.

2 World Series tickets, check. Bernard will love going to his first game.